Repository including exclusion list

Abstract

Systems and methods of executing and/or provisioning an application in an application specific runtime environment or general runtime environment are disclosed. The application specific runtime environment or general runtime environment are optionally defined by an application environment specification to include a minimal or reduced set of software resources required for execution of the application. These software resources are optionally stored in a resource repository that includes resources associated with a plurality of operating systems and/or executable applications. Various embodiments of the invention include the development of hierarchical resource metadata configured to characterize the various files, packages and file families included in the resource repository. In some embodiments this metadata is used to select between files when provisioning an application specific runtime environment. Various embodiments of the invention include use of an exclusion list to manage conflicts between same named files.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 one or more processors; 
 a repository configured to store a plurality of resources and repository metadata, the repository metadata being configured to characterize a plurality of files in a plurality of packages, each of the plurality of packages including a set of files from the plurality of files, and the repository metadata including an exclusion list that adds identifiers of at least a portion of the plurality of packages when the at least the portion of the plurality of packages include a file that has a same name and different data as a file in another package of the plurality of packages, the exclusion list not including identifiers of packages from the plurality of packages when the at least the portion of the plurality of packages include a file that has a same name and same data as a file in another package of the plurality of packages; and 
 a provisioning server that causes the one or more processors to perform the following operations:
 select a file from among the plurality of files for provisioning of an executable application or an operating system, the selection ensuring that no package from the selected file is in the exclusion list, and 
 provision the executable application or the operating system on a computing device by providing the selected file to the computing device for inclusion in a runtime environment. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a virtual machine and the provisioning server is configured to provision the executable application or the operating system on the virtual machine. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is one of a plurality of computing devices and the provisioning server is configured to provision the executable application or operating system on the plurality of computing devices. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the repository metadata further comprises package metadata. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of resources are configured for provisioning of a plurality of different executable applications or operating systems. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the provisioning server is configured to select the files based on an application environment specification, and wherein the application environment specification identifies a set of files that is limited to only those files that are required to execute the executable application or the operating system. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the provisioning server is configured to select the files from among the plurality of resources by comparing the repository metadata with provisioning metadata. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the repository metadata includes more than one exclusion list with each exclusion list being associated with a different file family. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an installation specific conflict list including identification of a package that includes a file that conflicts with a file selected for inclusion in the specific installation. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the provisioning server is further configured to rebuild the exclusion list when additional resources are added to the repository. 
     
     
       11. A method comprising:
 storing, by a computer system, a plurality of resources and repository metadata, the repository metadata being configured to characterize a plurality of files in a plurality of packages, each of the plurality of packages including a set of files from the plurality of files, and the repository metadata including an exclusion list that adds identifiers of at least a portion of the plurality of packages when the at least the portion of the plurality of packages include a file that has a same name and different data as a file in another package of the plurality of packages, the exclusion list not including identifiers of packages from the plurality of packages when the at least the portion of the plurality of packages include a file that has a same name and same data as a file in another package of the plurality of packages; and 
 selecting, by the computer system, files from among the plurality of files for provisioning an executable application or an operating system, the selecting ensuring that no package of any one of the selected files is in the exclusion list; 
 provisioning, by the computer system, the executable application or the operating system on a computing device by providing the selected files to the computing device for inclusion in a runtime environment; and 
 upon provisioning the executable application or the operating system, executing the executable application or the operating system. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the computing device comprises a virtual machine, wherein provisioning comprises provisioning, by the computer system, the executable application or the operating system on the virtual machine. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein selecting comprises selecting, by the computer system, the files based on an application environment specification, and wherein the application environment specification identifies a set of files that is limited to only those files that are required to execute the executable application or the operating system. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein selecting comprises selecting, by the computer system, the files from among the plurality of resources by comparing the repository metadata with provisioning metadata. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the repository metadata includes more than one exclusion list with each exclusion list being associated with a different file family. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising an installation specific conflict list including identification of a package that includes a file that conflicts with a file selected for inclusion in the specific installation. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the computing system is further configured to rebuild the exclusion list when additional resources are added to the repository. 
     
     
       18. A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computer system, a file family including a plurality of files; 
 identifying, by the computer system, any files having a same name in the file family; 
 identifying, by the computer system, packages in which the identified files are included; 
 adding, by the computer system, the identified packages to an exclusion list when the identified packages include a file that has the same name and different data and not adding any of the identified packages to the exclusion list when the identified packages include a file that has the same name and same data; 
 assigning an identifier to the identified packages in the exclusion list; 
 storing, by the computer system, the exclusion list in association with the file family; 
 identifying files from among the plurality of files for provisioning an executable application or an operating system; 
 upon determining that that no package selected for the provisioning of the executable application or the operating system are included in the exclusion list, selecting the identified files; 
 provisioning the executable application or the operating system on a computing device by providing the selected files to the computing device for inclusion in a runtime environment, and 
 upon provisioning the executable application or the operating system, executing the executable application or the operating system. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , further including adding the selected files to a resource repository configured to store files of several file families. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , further including repeating the identifying any files, the identifying packages and the adding the identified packages, when additional files are added to a resource repository.